I know God lives and that he really does love each and everyone of you, regardless of who you are or who you were.

June 16, 2018

  This week was a fast one! We were over in Sassari for DDM, that was good. After that I took Anziano Stout with me to Olbia for a scambio and that was pretty good! Anziano Stout is pretty in gamba as they would say in Italian. That pretty means that he is on the ball! We did some good missionary work together. 

  This week Anzaino Lamoureux and I had a pretty funny experience when we were talking to a group of people on this amphitheater thing. There was this older guy that was pretty full of himself haha we started talking about religion then some how started talking about a sports. He told me "you look like some one who didn't do many sports" then he started talking about how when he was my age that he was the champion of Sardegna for the shot put. We started talking about marks and it turns out I threw about 6 feet further than him haha he was pretty surprised and didn't believe me at first, then I showed him some pictures and he believed me. So that was pretty funny! We ended up having a good conversation and his wife actually stopped by church the next day! 

  I got an email from my sister Italia a while ago asking me If I knew how to make pasta. I brought it up to some, members and this week we had a little branch activity where we hand made some pasta! So that was cool! Tatiana, a woman that we met at the park came and had a really good time so that was awesome. She really loves the members here which is awesome.

  Another pretty awesome thing was that we passed by a less active family this past week that I knew from last year. I didn't think too much of it but then the mom came to church and that was awesome! After church we had a branch pranzo and ate the pasta we made earlier that week and the whole family showed up! That was an awesome miracle. The Lord really does magnify our efforts. 

  Happy father's day to my DAD! I have learned to much from his tremendous love for all of us kids and I continue to learn more and more as I reflect on his example that he set for all around him. Love you dad! When my understanding of God's love for me really grew was when I took the example of the love my father has for me; and realized that God loves me in the same way. God is perfect, and his love is so perfect, we can only begin to understand how grand it is. I know God lives and that he really does love each and everyone of you, regardless of who you are or who you were. 

Vi voglio bene!

Love Anziano Ruiz 

The good ole Olbia house.

Home made pasta.

We made this bomb cheese cake.

Pday at Porto Cervo.

"God is like the sun, even when it rains he's still here!"

June 11, 2018 

 So this week was pretty great! We had Zone conference and it was my last one so that is pretty crazy! It was a good conference. It's always good to see the other missionaries I have great friends in this zone! Every Zone conference the "dying" missionaries (those that are about to finish their missions) bear their testimonies. It's pretty crazy because every zone conference you hear different missionaries bear their "death testimony" some old companions some great friends; any you know one day that will be you. So yeah that was me this week. It was pretty interesting feeling I have time left in my mission, not much but still time, but it gave me a feeling of what it might be like to finish my mission. Very bitter sweet, but filled with the spirit!

  After zone conference we made our  way back to Olbia to finish up the week with some good ole missionary work. We had a Skype lesson with Roberto and that was pretty good. We talked about the Book of Mormon and that was great! We invited him to fast with us to receive an answer if the Book of Mormon is true. And he did so that is awesome! We are waiting to have another lesson so we can talk about it a bit more. The reason that we want to help people know if the Book of Mormon is true and the Word of God is because it is the keystone of our religion. In Matthew 7 it says "15 ¶ Beware of false prophets... 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits..." The Book of Mormon is a fruit of the prophet Joseph Smith and also a fruit of the church. If it's true then this is the actual Vhurch of Jesus Christ that He has restored on the earth Today! 

  During zone conference President Pickerd and Sorella Pickerd gave trainings on faith. They are definitely inspired! President Pickerd gave the invite to develop our faith, that invite led me to build my testimony this week. In particular as I was studying I can across verse 6 of Ether 12 "I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." When I think of this verse I always think of the first part but this time what really hit me was the second part; "dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." I love how clear and straight forward this is. Faith can be hard but I know that after each trial of our faith we can receive a witness, we just have to keep believing and then one day we will all see and know. One thing that really touched me that Anziano Lamoureux said to some one this week was "God is like the sun, even when it rains he's still here!" I know that this is true! 

Vi voglio bene!

Love Anziano Ruiz 

Sardegna Zone Conference 

As I have grown my relationship with God and Jesus Christ I have found lots of weaknesses but as I have continued to practiced my faith in Christ I have always been able to turn these weaknesses into strengths!

June 4, 2018

  This week flew! It was awesome and full of miracles! On Tuesday we had DDM and the zone leaders came so It was super good to see my old companion Anziano Christened! DDM was good then we drove to Olbia together and did a scambio in Olbia so that was sweet! It was good to work with Anziano Christensen again. Anziano Andersen was also there who was in my district in Napoli so that was sweet! Seeing that we had all served in Napoli but Anz. C. We went to a Napoli pizza place for pizza, it was pretty bomb! 

 Anyway the next day we had some finding to do and it was pretty good, we pretty much go to the park everyday because there is not many other places to go. This time was crazy tho, we ended up staying there for about 2 and a half hours because almost every person we talked to listened! Haha it was sweet, the last person we talked to was Tatiana! She is awesome, she pretty much was venting to us about the different churches so we taught her the restoration and she loved it! We invited her to church. Sunday came around and she came! It was awesome because this week there was a really big Europe broadcast, so there where talks by President Keron, Elder Hallstrum, and Elder Uchdorf. She loved it, after the broadcast we had a branch pranzo and she even stayed for that too! She loved it and was talking to people about their conversion stories then turned to us and said "you guys did good bringing me here, these are amazing people" So that was an awesome miracle.

  Also this week we were able to stop by that family a couple of times that we met last week and it was good! They are all pretty interested but the dad really likes to talk and doesn't like any churches. But it's a good time when ever we go over there, they are super nice!

  Anziano Lamoureux and I came across the verse in the Book of Mormon this week  Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" we sent it to the guy we met. I started reflecting on how this had affected my life and there are so many ways that is has. As I have grown my relationship with God and Jesus Christ I have found lots of weaknesses but as I have continued to practiced my faith in Christ I have always been able to turn these weaknesses into strengths! I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us and wants to help us always.

Vi voglio bene!

Love Anziano Ruiz 

 They had the world championships in Olbia for jet ski racing!

  

Picking some lemons on our scambio.

We woke up really early to go to Cagliari

 and this was the view.

I know that God loves all of his children. It doesn't matter if we have weaknesses or doubts; it doesn't matter if we believe him him or not, God loves us and wants the best for all of us, his children.

May 28, 2018

  

 Wow it was a pretty long week! It's been good being back in Olbia! It's pretty funny, every once and a while we'll be on the street and run into someone I talked to a year ago! Some of them I don't remember haha. This week was full of long days of talking just to anyone possible. Its interesting because in some city's there are just so many people and you don't know who to talk to, here is a little different, there seem to be such a small amount of people out that when you see one it's like "wow finally someone to talk to!" But then you get to more populated areas and there are more people.  

  The first couple of days this week were rough no one even wanted to listen to us, we  worked hard and decided to fast for the city. We offered very sincere prayer. Then got back to work. Constantly praying to be able to find someone. We were able to talk to a lot of people who were willing to listen and that was amazing. We've been seeing mini miracles of being lead to the people that will listen.

  It was Sunday night and we had about 30 mins left from the night and were pretty far from home and the bus didn't come for about 10 min. That would get us home about on time. We had been having great conversations, people have been listening but no one was willing to know more. We were sitting there thinking about about the week and weren't satisfied. The thought just came that we could just book it home on feet(maybe like a 40 min walk) talk to everyone on the way and hopefully find someone interested. So we did! It was pretty good we talked to a good amount of people and we almost weren't going to talk to this little family that was sitting on their porch but we did last second and they want us to come back tonight to share our beliefs. It was a pretty awesome miracle! Olbia is great and there are always miracles to be found in everyday.

  My testimony has grown in lots of different ways this week. I know that God loves all of his children. It doesn't matter if we have weaknesses or doubts; it doesn't matter if we believe him him or not, God loves us and wants the best for all of us, his children. He wants us to return to live with him and has prepared a plan for us to do so. This plan is full of happiness and lasting joy.  Christ is the at the center of that plan, he is our savior and he lives!  I know that with all of my heart. 

Vi voglio bene!

Love Anziano Ruiz 

Pittulongu Province of Olbia-Tempio, Italy

Golfo Aranci OT, Italy